Wicked Game
by MrsSpaceCowboy
Summary: It's strange what desire will make foolish people do. *Angela outtakes from The Give Away Girl* A birthday gift for Iris. *COMPLETE*
1. Chapter 1

**Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight. **

* * *

**Wicked Game**

**An Angela outtake from The Give Away Girl **

**Happy birthday, Iris. **

**Part One**

The flat plastic leaves of the alarm clock flipped to midnight without much fanfare. Angela sighed and glanced out her bedroom window at the fireworks lighting the skies above her neighborhood. The sounds of happy voices and celebration echoed outside on the streets and on the black-and-white television across the room, showcasing the crowd at Times Square in New York.

1993

Angela tossed away the quilt covering her legs and left the comfort of her bed to stand in front of the full-length mirror attached to the inside of her closet door. Her boobs had finally caught up to the rest of the junior class, perky and rounded under the thin white t-shirt she'd donned before settling under the covers with two scoops of vanilla ice cream and an Anne Rice novel her one cool aunt had given her for Christmas when her parents hadn't been looking.

1993

This would be the year that changed everything, she decided, staring at her reflection in the mirror. The new piercings in her ears were healing nicely. She brushed her hair back to inspect the silver studs she'd chosen in the mall boutique.

She'd hit the salon next and had her long, straight hair styled for the first time in her life. The hairdresser gave her layers and bangs that framed her face in a way that made her finally feel like an almost-woman, or at least something more than invisible.

Yes. This year would be different.

"Good morning," her mother said hours later at the breakfast table. "Happy New Year."

Angela smiled, poured cereal for her twin brothers and herself, and answered, "Yeah. Happy New Year."

"What are your plans?" her father asked, turning the page of the sports section of the _Port Angeles Daily News_.

"I'm working for Esme all day," she said. "We're making a cake and themed cookies for a baby shower tomorrow afternoon."

"Oh, how sweet," her mother said. "What's the theme?"

"Rubber duckies," Angela replied. "Yellow, since they're not sure of the baby's gender."

"Well, call if you're going to be late." Her father lowered the paper to give her "the look_._" "And we have church tomorrow. No work on Sundays."

"Yes, Dad. I know."

She finished her breakfast in silence while her family buzzed around her, busy and loud, like always. When she finished, she poured the leftover milk down the drain and rinsed her bowl in the sink.

Upstairs, she played the popular alternative radio station—on the lowest setting, of course—and dressed in the clothes her parents had given her for Christmas: a long khaki skirt, an oversized red sweater, and shiny white Keds. She didn't bother looking in the mirror after that and instead shoved ripped jeans and black Doc Marten boots into her backpack.

She'd been saving the money she'd made working with Esme and gifted herself a new wardrobe for Christmas, right under her parents' noses—a wardrobe she hid beneath layers of cotton and ruffles in her dresser drawers.

"I'll be home later." Angela paused at the front door until her parents acknowledged she was leaving.

"See you later, honey," her mother said. "Drive safely."

Angela pulled off into the parking lot of the public library. Her bet that it would be empty paid off. She changed in the front seat and shoved the bland Sunday school clothes under the passenger seat. Then she pulled dark eyeshadow and black eyeliner from her purse. She licked the pad of her thumb and used it to smear the corners like she'd seen Bella do a thousand times.

She gave herself an approving grin and a nod, restarted her car, and finished the trip to her boss' house. Edward's Volvo sat next to Esme's beamer in the driveway, so Angela parked at the curb. She popped a vanilla mint Certs into her mouth and dabbed perfume on each of her wrists.

When she couldn't put it off anymore, she cut the engine again and exited the car. She took measured steps up the driveway and around the house to the backdoor. She saw Esme bustling around the kitchen and knocked to get her attention. Edward beat his mother to the door and held it open for Angela.

She stopped short at the sight of her New Year's resolution. He looked like shit—something that wasn't easy for Edward Cullen and hadn't been since he'd shed his glasses and his girlfriend.

Angela wasn't the only one with a crush on Edward now. The broody-jock thing looked good on him. It really wasn't fair to the girls at Port Angeles High. They were nonexistent to him.

Except for Angela, thanks to Esme.

"Hey," Edward said.

"Hey." She smiled, inhaled him and the vanilla in the air, and closed the door behind her.

Esme handed her a generic black-and-white checkered apron. "Thanks for helping on a holiday. I'll pay accordingly." She smiled and waved to the ingredients spread across her counters.

"Let's do this," Angela said.

Edward lingered on one of the bar stools, flipped through a magazine, and snacked on Esme's array of sweets.

"How was your break?" Angela asked when he finally looked up and caught her eye. "Have fun in Seattle?"

Sheer heartbreak flashed across his face before he could stop it, but he bit back the grimace, forced a quick empty smile, and answered. "It was fine. Yours?"

"It was good. I saw Bella at the mall a few days before Christmas." He frowned, so she kept going, testing the waters. "She was with The Pack. Big surprise, right?"

Angela didn't mention Bella's new hair color or her thick bangs, because it wouldn't be hard to figure out she'd stolen the look a few days later when her mother had taken her for a trim.

The phone rang, and Esme looked up from cutting duck-shaped pieces of cookie dough. Her eyes narrowed when they settled on Edward. "You can get that for me."

He nodded and reached for the handset of the retro rotary phone hanging on the wall. "Hello?" A female voice carried through the line, and he glanced at Esme in time to catch a look of warning. "I can't talk right now. I'm grounded." There was a long pause with a string of conversation on the other end of the line. "No, Maggie. I'm not making this up."

Esme held out her hand and gave the phone in Edward's hand a long, hard stare.

"I'll call you as soon as I can," Edward continued, gripping the cord with the hand not cradling the phone. "Yes. I promise."

He hung up the phone, and silence settled over the kitchen like a dense, choking fog. Angela and Esme turned their focus to lining baking sheets with dozens of sugar cookies. Esme slid them into the double oven, side by side, and set a timer.

Edward helped them cut fruit and stab tiny blocks of cheese with pink and blue toothpicks. He stuck around when the cookies came out of the oven to sample a few of the extras.

"These need to cool for a while before we ice and decorate them," Esme said. "You can go if you need to Angela. I can handle the rest."

"I'll stick around," Angela said. "No plans until church tomorrow."

Esme smiled and nodded. "All right. I'll be back in a few. I'm going to change out some laundry and fold a few towels."

Edward and Angela watched her walk out of the room.

Angela gave him a nervous smile. "So… What are you grounded for?"

"What am I not grounded for would be an easier question to answer at this point," Edward said, shaking his head. "Let's see. I broke Ben Cheney's nose, drove from the Port to Forks with a blood alcohol level that probably could've gotten me arrested, my dad had to collect me from Bella's dad… Oh! And there were handcuffs, so that was great." He stared off into space and paused. "Then I stayed with my grandparents in Seattle for a few days after my parents came back to Port Angeles and stayed out all night long without calling anyone. So now my grandparents are pissed and hurt the same way my parents are. I hurt them. I hurt Maggie."

"Maggie, your ex?"

"Don't," he said. His eyes closed, and his head dropped. "I can't talk about that right now. I did something so fucking stupid, something I can't ever take back. And I'll have to explain that to her and tell her I'm sorry, and that's _if _I can even sneak in a call with my mom watching my every fucking move."

He dug his palms into his eyes and sat stiller than a statue. Angela let the information overload sink in.

"Oh, and did I mention that asshole Ben Cheney took me up on my offer to send his medical bills to my parents? I have to work off his broken nose. I'll be arranging flowers and carrying wedding cakes for my mom until I leave for college, and that's if I'm lucky."

"Damn, Edward." Angela shook her head and put a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry your break sucked so badly."

He shook his head. "Not your fault," he said. "All mine."

_And Bella's. _

In fairness, the thought crossed both of their minds.

"Well," Angela said. "It's a brand new year. A fresh start, right?"

"I guess." Edward stood and turned to go. He stopped and looked over his shoulder. "Want to watch some TV until those cookies are ready decorate?"

She smiled and followed him from the room. "Sure."

* * *

**A/N – All four parts of this gift will post today. Don't forget to wish Iris a happy birthday. **


	2. Part Two

**Wicked Game **

**Part Two**

The cafeteria was louder than usual for a random Wednesday, considering the sun was actually shining, but Angela's spot next to Edward at their table had been secured the first day of school when Bella hadn't shown up. Angela was now able to take her time and go through the line to get juice and an orange without worry.

Her shoulder grazed Charlotte's when they both finished paying the cashiers and tried to exit at the same time.

Charlotte scowled at Angela and stopped short, waving her by. "Don't let me get in your way," she said.

Angela smiled. "My bad."

Charlotte rolled her eyes and turned to talk to Felix. They were on and off or friends with benefits or something like that. No one really spread any gossip directly to Angela, but being nearly invisible had some advantages. People dropped their guard around the preacher's kid.

Angela could hear their voices behind her as she made her way over to her regular table. Emmett, Rosalie, and Tanya were there and already opening their backpacks, but there was no sign of Edward.

Angela slowed and looked around. At almost the same moment, the door across the room opened, and Edward walked in. This morning he'd almost smiled when Emmett reminded him of some line from a movie they'd seen over the weekend. It had been a while since she'd seen this face on Edward. He seemed to be getting better. Finally.

They arrived at the table at the same time, and he paused to let her go first.

"How was English?" she asked.

Edward winced. "Fine."

Rosalie and Tanya gave each other a look, traded sardonic smiles, and both rolled their eyes.

"Hey, Angela." Emmett was the only other person at their table nice enough to acknowledge her presence.

"Hey," she said.

Edward ate in silence, which meant Angela did too. Rosalie and Tanya quizzed each other in French that Angela didn't understand, and every now and then, they'd look at her and then snicker. Emmett was unusually quiet and spent most of his time studying his cousin from across the table.

"Are you going?" Emmett finally asked Edward.

The question froze everyone at the table. Edward looked up and met Emmett's glare. Rosalie and Tanya stopped their chittering immediately to stare at Edward. Angela took it all in, wondering what the hell was going on.

She wasn't brave enough to ask.

Edward exhaled, slow and labored. "I don't know." He shook his head and stared across the room at nothing. "I just don't know."

There was a long awkward silence, Rosalie frowned and shook her head, and then she changed the subject by asking Emmett if they had plans for the weekend.

Edward balled up his trash and stood to go.

"Hey," Angela said, putting a hand on his arm to stop him. "My mom's car had a flat this morning, so she needed mine. Can I get a ride to your house after school?"

He nodded and turned to go. "Sure," he said over his shoulder as he walked away.

Angela watched him until the metal doors clanged behind him, then yanked herself back to reality only to find the rest of her tablemates watching her just as intently.

It wasn't like Edward to leave her like that. His next class was only a few doors down from hers, and they almost always left lunch together.

"What happened in English?" Angela asked Rosalie.

Rosalie smirked and stood to go. "You'll see," she said.

"Emmett?" Angela said.

Emmett frowned and pulled a yellow sheet of paper from a red folder in his opened backpack. He pushed the paper across the table with one finger.

Angela lifted it and skipped the fine print at the top to focus on the bold italic print at the bottom of the page.

_**Macbeth **_

_**as presented by**_

_**Forks High Theater Department**_

_**April 10th, 1993**_

_**7:00 pm**_

_**(There will be a brief intermission.)**_

"Oh," Angela said.

"Yeah." Emmett snatched the flyer and walked away.

The ghost of Bella Swan had struck again. Angela sighed and gathered her things. She walked to English and slowed as she passed Edward's history classroom. He was already at his desk, with his arms crossed and resting on his already opened book. He stared at some far away spot on the chalkboard and didn't notice Angela wave as she went by.

Mrs. Swan stood outside her classroom door with a stack of pale yellow papers in her hand. She gave one to each person on the way in. Angela didn't bother reading it since she'd already seen Emmett's at lunch.

The bell rang, and Mrs. Swan pulled the door closed and walked to the front of the class.

English was Angela's favorite class by far, and as much as she disliked Bella now, she had to admit her mom was a great teacher. They spent the entire period in an in-depth _Macbeth _introductory discussion. Angela scribbled notes about themes and characters, answered a few questions since she'd read ahead, and then stalled and took as long as she could to pack her book and highlighter at the end of class. Edward seemed back to himself and waited outside Mrs. Swan's door for her so they could walk to PE together.

Angela greeted him from across the classroom. "No extra credit for us, huh? We'll be in Port Townsend with your mom." Mrs. Swan looked up from the planner on her desk and narrowed her eyes. Angela smiled at Edward and continued. "You know… That thing for your granddad…"

That "thing"was a retirement party, and Angela would technically be working, but they'd be together, somewhere other than Forks, and that's all that mattered.

"Right," Edward said. He exhaled and smiled. "That's right." Disappointment echoed in his voice, but his shoulders lowered in relief.

Angela knocked his backpack with her elbow. "Shakespeare's boring, anyway."

Neither of them noticed Renee Swan had moved to the hall to watch them on their way to the gym.


	3. Part Three

**Wicked Game**

**Part Three**

Rosalie Hale was in an unusually good mood. She'd been smiling since Angela had passed her in the hall before homeroom. The two girls had made eye contact every time they'd been in each other's company throughout the day.

By lunchtime, Angela was rattled to the bone. She'd briefly entertained the fantasy of Tanya and Rosalie accepting her as part of Emmett and Edward's package, but the girls killed that notion before the end of the first week of school. Rosalie and company weren't queens of the grade anymore, but they made it clear—daily—that Angela wasn't worthy of their attention.

After a day of Rosalie's predatory grins, Angela wished for the invisibility she'd been trying all year to shake. She liked it better when Rosalie pretended she was nonexistent.

Of course, Rosalie and Tanya had beaten her to their table. Edward looked up from his history notes when Angela took the seat next to his.

"Hey," he said.

"Hey." Angela smiled and pointed to his book. "Quiz?"

"Probably." Edward shrugged and picked up a green apple from the lunch spread in front of him. "Can't hurt."

"True."

"I can't believe how good the play was this year," Tanya said.

Rosalie smiled and stared across the table at Edward. As expected, his head turned immediately.

"That was this weekend?" he asked.

"Yeah," Rosalie said. "Tanya's right. It was really good this year. That Mike guy and Bella's friend, Alice, really nailed it."

"God, he's hot," Tanya said, nodding in agreement.

"Yeah, but still not as hot as that other guy, the quarterback." Rosalie's viscous smile landed on Angela as she dropped the next bomb. "I don't know how Bella Swan always ends up with these guys that are completely out of her league."

"Yes, you do." Tanya snorted a laugh. "Everyone knows." She poked the inside of her cheek with her tongue.

Angela covered a chirp of laughter with a cough, then pressed her lips together and covered them casually with her palm.

"Rose." Emmett snapped his girlfriend's name and shook his head. "Stop."

Edward paled and lowered the fruit to the table. "Em?" he asked.

Emmett exhaled. "Bella and Tyler are together."

His cousin stared back, silently, for a long minute or two. "You're sure?" he finally asked.

Emmett nodded. "Yeah."

A quiet stillness froze both sides of the table. All eyes were on Edward. He ignored them, gathered what was left of his lunch, and stood. He paused long enough to pick up his backpack before turning on his heel.

Angela glared at Rosalie until the other girl noticed. There was a flash of something on Rosalie's face that Angela could've mistaken as regret, but it was gone in an instant.

"What?" Rosalie asked her. "It's not healthy. He needs to move the hell on already."

"Yeah. Good luck with that," Emmett said.

"You could help, you know." Rosalie bumped Emmett's shoulder with hers. "He could take Tanya to prom, and we could all double. We could get a limo and everything."

Angela had heard enough. She hadn't spent months prying Edward open inch by excruciating inch to let Tanya sweep in and go to prom with him.

No way.

Angela picked up her tray of half-eaten cafeteria food and her backpack. She didn't bother saying goodbye, and none of Edward's friends bothered either. She left the cafeteria and ran into Edward as he walked out of the boys' bathroom just outside the exit.

"Hey," he said, holding out a hand to steady her. "Sorry."

"It's fine," she said. "My bad." They turned and walked together toward their next classes. "Hey, Edward?"

"Yeah?"

"Are you going to prom? We could go..." She knew instantly that she'd entered some strange territory and tried to correct. "I mean, as friends, of course."

His hand flew to the back of his neck, and he stared at the ground in front of them as they walked. "I don't want to go anywhere near prom," Edward said. "The whole dance thing… And the people… I'm going to have to pass."

"Oh." Angela nodded. "Yeah, I get it. It's pretty silly. Who wants to see Royce and Irina get crowns anyway?"

"Exactly." Edward nodded and smiled.

"I'm sure we could find something better to do," Angela agreed. Edward's brows drew in, so she amended the thought in a rush. "As friends, of course."

"Cool," Edward said. "Anything's better than prom."


	4. Part Four

**Wicked Game**

**Part Four**

"Angela." A distant male voice called her name in the hall near the cafeteria.

Angela stopped and scanned the faces behind her. Ben Cheney's was lit in a full smile, and his hand was in the air, fingers spread. Her brows drew together, and she glanced behind her to see if any of his crowd was nearby.

"Hey," he said, the moment he caught up to her.

"Um, hi." Angela fingered the strap of her backpack and waited to see if it was some kind of joke.

"We're in the same physics class." Ben grinned and angled his shoulder to almost touch hers.

"Yeah." Did he think she hadn't noticed?

"So your partner…"

"Nick," Angela supplied.

"Right." Ben nodded and leaned closer. The faint hint of Obsession cologne reeled Angela in. His lips were inches away when he said, "Since Nick will be out for a while, you should partner with us for the lab on Friday."

"With you and Royce?" Angela wanted to be sure.

"Why not?" he asked, sliding his hands into the pockets of his khaki pants. "You're smart. I'm smart. Royce is dumber than a rock…"

"Fuck off, Ben," Edward appeared out of nowhere and stepped between Angela and his teammate.

Emmett stood a few feet away, fist flexing at his side. Ben took a step back and looked in both directions. He held both hands up in front of him, but Edward followed.

"Easy there, buddy," Ben said. "You're not supposed to lay a finger on me."

"Get fucked," Edward replied.

"So hostile." Ben shook his head and turned to go.

Angela looked between the boys and made her choice in an instant. She reached for Edward's hand and tugged him back to reality. "Let's go," she said, pulling him toward the cafeteria.

Edward watched Ben until he turned the corner, then he glanced down at Angela's fingers twined with his and felt the warmth of her palm. He let go and reached for the door to hold it open for her and Emmett. Angela waited for him to catch up, and they walked to their table in silence.

Rosalie knew something was up before they even made it to the table. "What happened?" she asked.

"Cheney was fucking with Angela in the hall," Emmett said.

"No," Angela corrected. "My physics lab partner is out with chicken pox, so Ben offered to let me work with him and Royce for our next lab. That's it."

Rosalie's eyes narrowed. "Trust me," she said, giving Angela a onceover. "He was fucking with you."

Angela rolled her eyes and dropped her backpack on her seat. "Whatever." She walked alone through the line and came back a few minutes later with a taco salad and a carton of milk on a tray.

Edward and Emmett had moved on to a conversation about their upcoming game. It would be the last of the season, and Angela was glad. She'd grown tired of Edward's absence at the Cullen house after school. Everything was better when he was around.

He threw away her trash with his and returned her tray at the end of the period. Then he waited for her and left the cafeteria at her side.

It was time. Finally.

Angela's patience had finally paid off.

She floated through the rest of her day with thoughts of Edward to get her through English, and then had the real thing in PE.

After school, she stopped by a baking supplies store to pick up a few things on a list Esme had given her the day prior. The moment she parked in front of the Cullens' house, Esme walked out the front door with a large white box in her arms. "Oh, good! I'm going to run this cake over to the insurance office downtown. There are cupcakes in the oven. Can you check them in about ten minutes?"

Angela nodded. "Of course."

"They should be cooled enough to ice when I get back," Esme said.

Angela was used to working in Esme's kitchen alone at times. It was nice and so much roomier than the one at her house. She sat on one of the stools at the bar and thumbed through Carlisle's latest edition of _Reader's Digest _until it was time to take out the cupcakes.

She placed them on the cooling rack as promised and then wandered through the empty house. The skies darkened outside the huge glass windows of the family room. Angela took the stairs, one by one, and stopped outside Edward's room. Rain unleashed from the skies and drummed on the roof above her.

Angela reached for the knob and turned. She noticed right away that Edward's bed was made and his room was as spotless and perfect as the rest of the Cullen home. He had shelves and shelves of CDs, records, and tapes, and there were stray cassettes strewn across the length of his black comforter.

She walked to the window to watch the rain and street. She swallowed when Edward's car pulled into the drive.

"Now or never," she said to herself.

She heard the front door close and then his footsteps on the stairs.

"Angela?"

She smiled and turned to face him. "Hey," she said.

There were wet spots on his shirt from the rain, and his hair was wrecked and dripping. "Um… Hey."

Angela faltered for a moment and wondered if she'd gone too far. There was no going back, though. She took a few steps and stopped right in front of him.

Edward swallowed, and his lips parted. She took it as an invitation and pressed her mouth against his. He stiffened when her fingers brushed his ribs, but he kissed her back. She started slow, with the smallest of pecks, and breathed into him when his tongue slipped into her mouth.

She almost fell when he jerked away.

"I'm sorry," he said, holding a palm out between them. "That's… I mean, we're friends, Angela. _Just _friends."

She touched her bottom lip with the tip of her pointer finger. "Do you kiss all your friends like that?"

Edward shook his head. "I can't do this again."

"What are you talking about?"

"It's like Maggie all over again."

"But this afternoon… The thing with Ben…" Angela grasped. "If you don't want me, why can't I be his partner or spend time with him? What do you care?"

"Ben Cheney and Royce King are dirtbags."

"Isn't that for me to decide?" Angela pushed.

"Really?" Edward ran a hand through his hair. "Okay. Did you know they like to share girls? Ben calls it a 'double stuft.' When they really want to be assholes, they pick a girl and make bets about whether or not she'll be up for it."

"No." Angela shook her head. "Ben's not like that. He's nice."

Edward's face contorted in rage. "Nice my ass. He's a fucking monster."

"Edward—"

"He attacked Bella, Angela." Edward stopped to take a deep breath, and Angela's heart dropped when his eyes watered. "Ben went to her mom's house, and when Bella answered the door, he tried to rape her. He left bruises all over her arms, but she fought him off and locked him out."

"That's a lie," Angela whispered. "Bella's a liar. Maybe it's time you faced facts, Edward. She's a lying whore. Look at how many guys she's blown through since she dumped you."

Edward closed the distance between them, tipped her chin up with the pads of his fingers, and looked Angela right in the eye. He was barely hanging on to the tears, but his voice cracked and gave him away. "Bella didn't tell me about it. Ben did." He leaned in closer, until their lips were almost touching. "And you know what else? The motherfucker bragged about it and convinced me that he'd succeeded. I had to go to Bella to find out what really happened."

"You're never going to get over her, are you?" Angela shook her head and wrapped her arms around herself.

"Probably not," Edward said. "Now get out."

"Edward, please—"

"Go." He turned his back to her and walked to the window. Rain pelted against it relentlessly. "Tell my mother how you came into my room uninvited and without my permission. You tell her, or I will."

Angela's tears fell freely. She sniffed and crossed the room. "Fuck you, Edward," she said at the door. "She's never coming back."

And in that moment, he hated Angela as much as Angela hated him.

Because, deep down, he knew she was right.

* * *

**A/N – First things first. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, IRIS! This only exists because you asked for it. I hope you liked it. I can't thank you enough for all you do for me, my family, and our fandom. You're the bomb. **

**Now, before anyone rips my head off – Yes, Edward told Bella about this kiss (chapter 28 in case anyone doesn't believe me ;)). Also, you don't have to rip Emmett and Rosalie as GUEST. You can log in and shred them. I'm not trying to make you like them or excuse them. I get mad at them, too, okay? It's cool. **

**Hope you guys enjoyed this little peak into what went on in Edward's life, post fallout. It was as hard for him as it was for Bella. **

**This is now complete. Thanks for reading and reviewing. **

**See y'all around. *insert heart emoji here***

**MSC**


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